The present invention relates generally to rodent traps, and more specifically to improved rodent traps for use where sanitary conditions are required.
The prior art includes a wide variety of structures and mechanisms which have been proposed for the purpose of trapping mice or other small rodents. While most of these prior art devices perform their intended function with greater or lesser degrees of efficiency, there has still existed a need in the art for an improved and highly efficient trap for use in situations in which a high degree of cleanliness and sanitary conditions must be maintained. For example, in restaurants, bakeries, graineries or other places in which food is handled or prepared, it is desirable to control and depose of rodents in the most sanitary possible way, so as to avoid the possibility of contamination or attraction of insects or other pests.
With conventional snap-type mouse traps, mutilation of the animal's body by the trap can lead to the creation of unsanitary conditions. Further, since in practice the traps may not be checked for many hours after the animal is killed, and since the animal is fully exposed, there is a likelihood of the attraction of flies or other insects and the creation and spreading of hazardous germs and offensive odors.
Traps according to the present invention overcome these problems of conventional traps by the use of suffocation within a sealed enclosure to kill the rodent. Once the rodent is lured into the trap by the bait, its weight on the trip mechanism causes a spring or weight loaded door to close, trapping the rodent inside. An air tight seal is provided around the door so that the animal dies of suffocation, usually within about 5 minutes or so. The usual unsanitary situations involving trapped dead animals are avoided since no physical trauma or mutilation has been inflicted upon the trapped animal, and also because the entire trap is air tight, preventing odors from getting out, or insects from getting in.
Although other types of traps have been proposed in the prior art which utilize the principle of suffocation, they have in general suffered from the disadvantages of an unnecessarily complex trip mechanism, or the necessity of providing valves and fittings for introducing a suffocating gas. Further, the prior art suffocation type traps have not provided a convenient way of determining whether the rodents trapped therein have died, other than by opening the door. Of course, if the rodent has not yet died, he may escape when the door is opened.
The present invention overcomes these and other problems existing in the prior art by providing an improved suffocation type trap, having an improved and simplified trip mechanism. According to another aspect of the present invention, a transparent inspection panel is provided allowing the user of the trap to see whether the rodent has died before opening the trap.